Help Identifying Front Clip and Suspension Parts on 1956 Chevy Pickup

[mr48chev]

For those of you who think it is 78 or later those are NOT metric calipers. This throwing nonsense out just to hope you look knowledgeable only adds to the confusion and doesn't help for squat.

I stick to my original comment which coincides with with 1958Warrior In that it is a 75 to 77 Monte Carlo subframe . Still almost all parts interchange with Mullet Camaro, 73/77 Chevelle, Regal, Cutlass, Lemans outside of the sway bar bushings and maybe a couple of other things. The frames are slightly different but almost all the pieces that bolt to them are the same.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

For those of you who think it is 78 or later those are NOT metric calipers. This throwing nonsense out just to hope you look knowledgeable only adds to the confusion and doesn't help for squat.

I stick to my original comment which coincides with with 1958Warrior In that it is a 75 to 77 Monte Carlo subframe . Still almost all parts interchange with Mullet Camaro, 73/77 Chevelle, Regal, Cutlass, Lemans outside of the sway bar bushings and maybe a couple of other things. The frames are slightly different but almost all the pieces that bolt to them are the same.

You may well be right , any of the components may have been changed and the fact that they will swap to many different cars makes it less important on specific year. General year and what replacement parts work is the important issue. If he can get some bushing numbers I asked him for we'll know then with much less guessing and more certainty at least to a year range and body style

[1project2many]

I stick to my original comment which coincides with with 1958Warrior In that it is a 75 to 77 Monte Carlo subframe . Still almost all parts interchange with Mullet Camaro, 73/77 Chevelle, Regal, Cutlass, Lemans outside of the sway bar bushings and maybe a couple of other things. The frames are slightly different but almost all the pieces that bolt to them are the same.

I think it also looks very close to the mid '70s G body. I have yet to find a frame with the same driver's side access holes but I have looked at enough of them to believe the frame is a close cousin at minimum.

Bushing numbers and casting numbers will go a long way toward solving this mystery.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

I think it also looks very close to the mid '70s G body. I have yet to find a frame with the same driver's side access holes but I have looked at enough of them to believe the frame is a close cousin at minimum.

Bushing numbers and casting numbers will go a long way toward solving this mystery.

I've seen way to many frame clips as well. I did learn that the bolt sizes are one of the few markers as to year. Inch or metric, and of course the bushing numbers. If all three were found I think you could get body style and year within 3 years

[dwcsr]

I believe its a 1977 Monte Carlo clip , check out some pics on the Lay it low site
Page 8, Post #160 , the side view like the 7th pic shows frame holes drivers side

http://www.layitlow.com/forums/16-po...project-8.html

and page #22, post # 424 , shows passenger side frame holes, like the 6th pic

http://www.layitlow.com/forums/16-po...roject-22.html

when compared to oracles pics all frame holes are the same, same location , has the factory damper, wide horns , looks like he has the indention in front of the pass. motor mount. oracle56 will have to confirm but I'm convinced.

I think your right. It looks good in all the right places.

[55dude]

get the casting numbers off the calipers.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

You may well be right , any of the components may have been changed and the fact that they will swap to many different cars makes it less important on specific year. General year and what replacement parts work is the important issue. If he can get some bushing numbers I asked him for we'll know then with much less guessing and more certainty at least to a year range and body style

Taking a caliper and measuring the front sway bar will get the correct sway bar bushings.

I don't think I have a photo 1 of the 75 Monte Carlo frame I put under my 51 Merc in the late 80's. I'm thinking it had that lip sticking out from the crossmember that served as a skid plate or something.
Here is an Ebay add for a 73/77 Monte Carlo frame that is a bare frame and it has that lip/protrusion or skid piece on it.

If memory serves right the Monte Carlo frames had 3 degrees + caster built in while the Chevelle style had 1 or 1-1/2 built in.

[oracle56]

I would like to thank everyone for helping. I am a novice at this stuff and I could not have found the answer by myself. As a matter of fact, I have been grappling with this issue for over 2 years now. I "assumed" that the front clip was a Camaro but could not figure out a way to confirm it. I have been googling 100’s of chassis pictures but never hit the correct one. Being new to this, I assumed with all things “google-able” there would be a website with every frame ever made and it would be a simple task to find my frame. It was not. I looked at so many frame pictures I was going “framing crazing”. I was not aware of the small differences of each vehicle’s history that makes this identification possible. That is why this collaboration with others on this website is so amazing and a wonderful resource for knowledge and guidance. It is a rare treat to have others give of their time and effort to help someone. Thank you!

As for the brake calipers, I had replaced them in 2013. What I documented for the “original” casting numbers were Driver (L): 5474338 CFD 388 (or 338) and the Passenger (R): 5474339 CFD 339. I had replaced them with Right Caliper (Model 18-4059) and Left Caliper (Model 18-4060) from Summit Racing.

I have been discussing this with dwscr and using the information provided by all. I think it has been concluded that this is a 1977 Monte Carlo front end. Again, I would never have been able to identify this without everyone’s input and assistance. I would like to layout the steps and information that has drawn us to this conclusion which may (or may not) help someone in the future.

1) I tried to check the control arm bushing for markings but they are so old that any markings were long gone so there was nothing to identify there.
2) 1958Warrior pointed out the indent in the frame. Then he found two pictures on www.lowrider.com that had good pictures of the frame of a 1977 Monte Carlo.
3) I then compared my under side with that of one of the pictures found by 1958Warrior. As you can see my under carriage looks very similar.

[oracle56]

4) I then compared my Driver Side Frame with a picture 1958Warrior found (see arrows).

[oracle56]

5) I then compared my Passenger Side Frame with the picture (see arrows).

[oracle56]

6) Once on the scent for a 1977 Monte Carlo because the facts were starting lineup, I found another picture at www.layitlow.com.

[oracle56]

7) Dwscr said that the bolt head that I have on the lower control arm was the grade markings for bolt hardness. If the bolt head had a 9.8 or 10.9 then the bolt would have been a metric and a later model. (might be good information for someone else in the future looking for a similar question). As you can see my bolt head has a circle with lines radiating around it. And when I go to OPGI website, the replacement bolt for 1970-77 Monte Carlo has the same marking (https://www.opgi.com/monte-carlo/197...nents/CH21441/ ) .

[1project2many]

Good job. At one point I found myself watching nearly every Ebay video I could find on changing ball joints to get a clean shot at frames. You'd be amazed at how many people can't hold a camera steady! Most of what I found was close but it definitely looks like the yellow frame Monte is the same stuff. It's definitely close enough to order replacement parts in the future.

This is also why I document all of the custom parts or work I do for my vehicles. Even if you keep the vehicle forever it's very easy to forget exactly which part you used to solve a particular problem.